Where is she now?

by Craig Emerson Strain

With the unrest in the land that we see, it is easy to forget that times of unrest is not new to this country. But in retrospect, I believe that there was a turning point in American history that has effected the morals of our generation. The baby boomers had manners, prayer, respect, etc. taught from their parents. Their parents knew the price paid for our freedom that we have today. WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam, these are wars that left a solemn reminder of what price freedom costs. Desert Storm was different in that youth saw it as a "video game" war with "smart bombs" and everybody coming home with all their limbs. Today it would be easy to forget there are grunts in Afganistan wondering if we have forgotten.

Many times when I hear a singer use the "Star Spangle Banner" to show their vocal abilities, I think; Let them roll out a veteran in a wheel chair, with agent orange in his lungs. Or a veteran that can't even carry a toon but is carring the thought of his lost buddies. Let him sing the Star Spangle Banner. And if he couldn't finish the song, maybe others will understand and sing with greater conviction.

This is not to state that the youth of today are without compassion or understanding, but it is to state that changes that happened to our nation in the sixties, are still effecting us today unless we individually take a stand.

Madalyn Murray O'Hare was able to remove prayer from schools in 1963. From that time on, the changes in our moral choices have shown a decline. The late 60's brought in the Rock Music and the drug lifestyle, and the selfish hedonistic attitude that went with it. And I don't speak as a scoffer or hypocrite, because I myself was in my late teens and early 20's during this time. I attended Rock Concerts and stood at the feet of Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendricks, The Who, and many others, and even promoted a rock concert myself while in college. I had known some of the groups well enough that I was invited to join in the parties in the motels before the concerts.Years later, after becoming a "born again Christian" I can really see that I passed from death unto life!

Several years ago Bill Murray, Madalyn Murray O'Hare's son (the one she used to get prayer out of the schools) was a guest in our home. He and I stayed up late talking of the things of the Lord (he now is a Christian). The one thing that he said that amazed him was that there was little or no opposition to Madlin when she worked to get prayer out. No unified Churches, no womens or mens groups to oppose her. Just freedoms taken for granted that nobody defended.

I don't own a gun, nor will I ever own a gun, but our freedoms that were laid down by our fore fathers, (the leaders that prayed to the Lord Jesus) should not be taken by some one or some country that believes that it can solve all our problems for you by laws. Good laws don't make men good. Only Jesus can remove the sinful nature of each individual person.

So once again I refer you to the scripture, 2 Chr 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

As for Madlin Murray O'Hare, here are some scriptures and a current press release.

Psa 9:5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

Psa 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

Eccl 8:13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Missing Atheist Aide Implicated

By Katie Fairbank
Associated Press Writer
Thursday, May 27, 1999; 4:55 p.m. EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- For the first time since Madalyn Murray O'Hair vanished in 1995, investigators said that the nation's foremost atheist and two of her children were killed, and that the crime was orchestrated by her former office manager in a plot to steal $600,000.

The accusations came in a 36-page affidavit filed in court Wednesday by the IRS before a hearing for 52-year-old David R. Waters.

At the hearing on Thursday, Waters, a murder convict on probation for skimming $54,000 from the O'Hair family's atheist organizations, pleaded guilty to two gun possession charges unrelated to the O'Hair case. He could get up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Waters has not charged in the disappearance of the O'Hairs.

Ms. O'Hair, who helped bring about the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision banning organized prayer in public school, vanished nearly four years ago with her son Jon Garth Murray, her granddaughter Robin Murray -- whom Ms. O'Hair had adopted -- and $500,000 in gold coins.

At the time, authorities wondered whether the O'Hairs were victims of foul play or had merely run off with their organization's money. Others suggested that Ms. O'Hair, who was 77 and ailing, had gone off to die quietly so Christians wouldn't pray over her.

The affidavit said that IRS agents had concluded that the family was killed, based on several pieces of circumstantial evidence and reports from confidential sources.

The sources told the government that Waters had expressed fantasies about killing Ms. O'Hair and ``spoke about seeing Madalyn suffer and snipping off her toes.''

The affidavit alleged that Waters schemed to steal at least $600,000 from the United Secularists of America, an organization headed by Ms. O'Hair. Waters worked for her in 1993 and 1994.

Authorities suspect the family's remains were stored in barrels and buried on a ranch near San Antonio. Two searches by the FBI recently failed to find either barrels or bodies.

Also named in the affidavit is Waters' former cellmate, Gary Karr, who is imprisoned in Detroit and has admitted involvement in Texas homicides that closely match the O'Hair case, according to the FBI.

The affidavit also names Danny Fry in the alleged plot. Fry's headless, handless body was dumped in Texas two days after the O'Hairs vanished. The IRS said Waters was responsible for Fry's slaying.

A fourth man is also named, but his role was unclear.

``What it looks like to me is a script for Oliver Stone's next movie,'' said Waters' attorney, Patrick Ganne. ``They don't have any direct evidence to link him. It's all speculation.''

The affidavit was used in March to obtain a search warrant of his Austin apartment. The search yielded, among other items, personal correspondence of Jon Murray, the document said.

The search also turned up an unpublished book by Waters. In one typical passage, he wrote: ``To simply label Madalyn an atheist, racist, homophobe, anti-Semite, etc., would be a tremendous misnomer. To her dubious credit, Madalyn Mays Murray O'Hair is an equal-opportunity bigot whose loathing of humanity is eagerly dispensed without partiality.''

Ellen Johnson, president of the United Secularists, said she still holds out hope that Ms. O'Hair and her children are alive.

``They've been digging and digging and digging and there aren't any bodies,'' Ms. Johnson said. ``I don't have any evidence they're alive. But they were dear friends and colleagues. There is no way I'm going to bury them yet.''